Srimad Bhagavata Skanda 2 — The Symphony of His Forms and Fame (1 of 5)
"The Lord Sriman Narayana is the very essence of divine virtues, self-sustained, radiant with light, overflowing with boundless knowledge and bliss. He is the ‘Creator of The Universe,’ which encompasses countless forms of Himself, both the living beings and the non-living things. He sustains, transforms, and governs it all — bestowing both ignorance and wisdom, binding beings to the cycle of birth and death, and offering liberation to those who seek moksha. Thus, He is the Param, the Supreme.
In the dawn of creation, He manifested the first being, the four-faced Brahma, and gifted him the knowledge required to bring the cosmos into being. Through His blessings, wisdom unfolds. Though He seeks no gain for Himself, He creates and upholds the cosmos for the welfare of all living beings, endowed with all the wisdom necessary for such a grand design. For He is neither a juggler, nor a deceiver, crafting illusions in this world. Untainted by any flaw, He is the Satyam — the absolute truth.
With reverence, let us meditate upon Lord Sriman Narayana, the embodiment of Satyam and Param."
"The Srimad Bhagavata encompasses the entirety of Dharma, safeguarding the soul from falling by purifying it, and guiding the individual soul towards the divine path leading to the Lord. This sacred path calls for unwavering devotion — a life dedicated to honoring, worshipping, admiring, and praising the Lord, free from jealousy, expectation, or deceit. As one treads upon this path, all obstacles dissolve, prosperity is bestowed, and the heart becomes imbued with virtue, turning one into a Sajjana, a virtuous soul. Above all, it fortifies bhakti, deepening one’s devotion.
Thus, the Srimad Bhagavata, composed by the Lord in the form of sage Veda Vyasa shines as a beacon of truth, revealing Himself as Supreme Soul eternally resides in the heart of every living being."
"Salutations to Lord Sriman Narayana, the eternal support of all, including the divine Goddess Lakshmi, and the very essence of the Srimad Bhagavata. Salutations to Lord Veda Vyasa, the revered composer of this sacred scripture. Salutations to Devi, the Goddess of Fortune, who perpetually serves the Lord and bestows the blessings of abundance upon all Bhagavatas, enriching them with the divine knowledge of Srimad Bhagavata — a wealth that encompasses Jnana, Bhakti, and Vairagya.
Salutations to the Gods Brahma and Vayu, the noblest of beings. Salutations to Sarasvati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Devotion, who inspires both wisdom and bhakti. Salutations to the divine Garuda, Sesha and Shiva, the greatest among the Vaishnavas.
Salutations to the Srimad Bhagavata, the sacred text that brings forth eternal victory and spiritual triumph."
The brightness of the Sun, Fire, Moon, Planets, Stars, Gems, Precious stones and Lightening put together is just like a firefly near the astonishing brilliance emanating from your lotus of Heart wherein the five forms of Lord Sri Rama, Sri Narasimha, Sri Veda Vyasa, Sri Krishna and Sriman Narayana are present in a significant way bestowing you the Brahmavarchas or the Sacred Knowledge.
Gentle & Holy Sage, Sri Raghavendra, I worship you by surrendering myself.
In the hallowed forest of Naimishāraṇya, where sages sat in sacred silence, Śrī Sūta began to recount the timeless dialogue between Śukacharya and King Parīkṣit—first spoken on the sanctified banks of the Gaṅgā. In response to Nārada’s heartfelt inquiries, Brahmā revealed profound truths: that all paths of spiritual discipline—be it Vedic study, sacrifice, yoga, austerity, or wisdom—ultimately converge upon Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Refuge.
Yet even Brahmā, master of the Vedas and sovereign of cosmic order, turns inward and confesses: despite his divine stature and ascetic power, the Infinite remains beyond full comprehension.
Thus begins the serene dialogue between Brahmā and Nārada, as the Śrīmad Bhāgavata unfolds like a garland of divine manifestations—each an act of grace, each a revelation of the Lord’s boundless compassion. From the depths of cosmic waters, where He rose as Varāha to lift the Earth, to the quiet hermitage where He spoke as Kapila to His mother Devahūti, the Lord appears again and again—restoring balance, rekindling wisdom, and reminding creation of its sacred origin.
These incarnations are not isolated tales, but sacred notes in an eternal melody—the song of the One who dwells both beyond and within all. In every form, the Lord unveils a facet of His infinite glory: as Dattātreya, He sanctifies knowledge; as Nara-Nārāyaṇa, He perfects austerity; as Dhruva’s Lord, He rewards unwavering devotion; as Pṛthu, He nourishes the world; and as Ṛṣabha, He exemplifies the path of renunciation.
And so, Brahmā declares: this Śrīmad Bhāgavata—initiated by the Lord Himself—is but a glimpse of His immeasurable splendor. Its true fruit lies not in mere narration, but in inner transformation:
“Let it blossom as Bhakti, the sacred lotus of devotion, in the hearts of all who hear it. For those who speak of His glories, who listen with faith, and who hold them close— ignorance fades, and the Lord Himself becomes their light.”
ब्रह्मोवाच
यत्रोद्यतः क्षितितलोद्धरणाय बिभ्रत्
क्रौडीं तनुं सकलयज्ञमयीमनन्तः ।
अन्तर्महार्णव उपागतमादिदैत्यं
तं दंष्ट्रयाद्रिमिव वज्रधरो ददार ॥ १॥
God Brahmā said, “When the earth was submerged in Pralayodaka—the waters of the great dissolution—the infinite Lord, Ananta, assumed the form of Varāha, the divine boar, who embodies the essence of all Yajñas (sacrificial worship). Entering the cosmic waters, the Lord descended to recover the earth.
But as He approached, the powerful demon Hiraṇyākṣa obstructed Him, attempting to prevent the rescue. A fierce battle ensued. Like Indra shattering mountains with his Vajrāyudha, the Lord, in His Varāha form, struck down Hiraṇyākṣa with His mighty tusk, restoring the earth and establishing divine order once again.”
जातो रुचेरजनयत्सुयमान् सुयज्ञ
आकूतिसूनुरमरानथ दक्षिणायाम् ।
लोकत्रयस्य महतीमहरद्यदार्तिं
स्वायम्भुवेन मनुना हरिरित्यनूक्तः॥ २॥
Brahmā continued, “Subsequently, the same Lord Ananta took birth as Suyajña, the son of Prajāpati and his wife Ākūti. United with His consort Dakṣiṇā, He begot divine children, among them the noble Suyama, who led the celestial hosts.
During this incarnation, the Lord alleviated the sufferings that had engulfed all three realms—the earth, the heavens, and the netherworld. For this divine act, the great Svāyambhuva Manu glorified Him as Hari.”
The name Hari—etymologically rooted in the Sanskrit verb hṛ (हृ), meaning ‘to seize, to take away’—is interpreted as ‘He who removes evil and sin.’ But its deeper significance lies in the Lord’s power to dissolve saṃsāra—the endless cycle of birth and death, along with avidyā, the ignorance that sustains it. Thus, Hari is not merely the remover of worldly distress, but the liberator of souls, the one who seizes the bondage of illusion and grants freedom through divine grace.”
जज्ञे च कर्दमगृहे द्विज देवहूत्यां
स्त्रीभिः समं नवभिरात्मगतिं स्वमात्रे ।
ऊचे ययाऽऽत्मशमलं गुणसङ्गपङ्क
मस्मिन्विधूय कपिलस्य गतिं प्रपेदे ॥ ३॥
Brahmā said, “O Nārada! In the household of the noble Prajāpati Kardama, the Lord took birth as Kapila, along with nine sisters, as the son of Kardama and Devahūti. In this incarnation, He imparted ātma-jñāna—the knowledge of the Self—to His mother, Devahūti. Empowered by that wisdom, she purified herself of the subtle pollutants of Prakṛti, born from attachment to worldly pleasures, and in that very life, attained mukti at the lotus feet of Lord Kapila.”
It was Kapila Muni who first established Sāṅkhya as a path of pure devotion (bhakti)—a spiritual discipline that harmonized analytical discernment with surrender to the Supreme. Unlike the atheistic or materialistic interpretations that later emerged, Kapila’s Sāṅkhya was deeply theistic, centered on the realization of the soul’s dependence on the Lord. This original doctrine was subsequently revived and illuminated by Śrī Veda Vyāsa in the Śrīmad Bhāgavata, restoring its devotional essence and reaffirming its place as a sacred path to liberation.
अत्रेरपत्यमभिकाङ्क्षत आह तुष्टो
दत्तो मयाहमिति यद्भगवान् स ।
यत्पादपङ्कजपरागपवित्रदेहा
योगर्द्धिमापुरुभयीं यदुहैहयाद्याः ॥ ४॥
Pleased by the great sage Atri, who had worshipped Him through intense austerity, the Supreme Lord granted him the boon of becoming his son. Fulfilling this divine promise, the Lord incarnated as Dattātreya—Datta, the son of Atri—and became renowned throughout the fourteen worlds.
By worshipping the lotus feet of Lord Dattātreya and earning His grace, many kings from the Yadu dynasty and others purified their bodies, perfected both material and spiritual yogas, and thus fulfilled the true objectives of life.
तप्तं तपो विविधलोकसिसृक्षया मे
आदौ सनात्स्वतपसः स चतुःसनोऽभूत् ।
प्राक्कल्पसम्प्लवविनष्टमिहात्मतत्त्वं
सम्यग्जगाद मुनयो यदचक्षतात्मन् ॥ ५॥
Brahmā said: “Nārada! At the dawn of creation, I undertook deep austerities to earn the blessings of the Supreme Lord, so that I could fulfill the task of manifesting the various planets and regions of the universe. Pleased with my devoted tapasya, the Lord—whose very name embodies the essence of austerity (Tapas)—incarnated as the indwelling Ātma in four divine forms: Sanaka, Sanatkumāra, Sanandana, and Sanātana.
These eternal sons of mine, known as the Sanakādi Kumāras, emerged radiant with pure knowledge. Through them, the Supreme Lord revived the lost wisdom of self-realization and God-realization that had vanished during the great dissolution of the previous Kalpa. With this sacred knowledge, the Kumāras enlightened the great ṛṣis and munis, guiding them to perceive the Lord within—the Paramātmā shining in the lotus of their hearts.”
धर्मस्य दक्षदुहितर्यजनिष्ट मूर्त्यां
नारायणो नर इति स्वतपःप्रभावः ।
दृष्ट्वाऽऽत्मनो भगवतो नियमावलोपं
देव्यस्त्वनङ्गपृतना घटितुं न शेकुः ॥ ६॥
“In Mūrti, the daughter of Daksha and wife of Dharma, the Lord incarnated as the divine twins Nara and Nārāyaṇa. In these forms, He demonstrated an extraordinary example of Tapas, performing deep and unwavering austerity.
Alarmed by their growing spiritual power, Indra—the King of the Gods—sent Kāma, the god of desire, along with his most enchanting Apsaras to disturb their penance. But their attempts failed. The beauty and allure of the celestial maidens had no effect on the unsurpassed Nara-Nārāyaṇa, whose minds were absorbed in divine contemplation.
Instead, from their own divine presence, Nārāyaṇa manifested even more radiant and graceful women, putting the Apsaras to shame. Overwhelmed and humbled, the Apsaras bowed down and sought forgiveness for their intrusion,” declared Brahmā.
To this day, the divine twins are said to reside in eternal meditation at Badrikāśrama, the sacred Himalayan abode. Their presence is mystically enshrined in the twin peaks—Nara and Nārāyaṇa Parvata—standing as silent sentinels of austerity and grace. There, amidst the snow-clad silence, they continue their tapas, sustaining the spiritual balance of the cosmos.
कामं दहन्ति कृतिनो ननु रोषदृष्ट्या
रोषं दहन्तमुत ते न दहन्त्यसह्यम् ।
सोऽयं यदन्तरमलं प्रविशन् बिभेतिप्रविशन्
कामः कथं नु पुनरस्य मनः श्रयेत ॥ ७॥
Brahmā said: “Nārada! Lord Śiva, the foremost of Yogis, has conquered kāma, the force of desire. When Kāmadeva dared to disturb his meditation, Śiva—enraged—reduced him to ashes with a mere glance from his blazing third eye. Yet even Śiva, though untouched by lust, is not entirely free from krodha—the fire of anger born of the three guṇas of Prakṛti. That anger, subtle and potent, smolders within him—difficult to restrain, and slowly consuming.
Now reflect on this: when even that primordial anger—so deeply rooted in nature itself—trembles before the Lord in His twin forms of Nara and Nārāyaṇa, what power could Kāmadeva, Śiva’s own son, possibly wield against Him?
In this divine incarnation, the Lord has been engaged in unbroken tapas since the very dawn of the Kalpa—not for personal gain, but to bestow the essence of that tapas upon those who pursue yoga with purity and devotion. Through this silent offering, He grants the strength to transcend the guṇas and attain spiritual clarity, thereby bestowing welfare upon the universe.
In the stillness of Badrikāśrama, He remains immersed in meditation, sustaining the cosmic order through the quiet radiance of His austerity—a beacon for all seekers who walk the path of selfless discipline.”
विद्धः सपत्न्युदितपत्रिभिरन्ति राज्ञो
बालोऽपि सन्नुपगतस्तपसे वनानि ।
तस्मा अदाद्ध्रुवगतिं गृणते प्रसन्नो
दिव्याः स्तुवन्ति मुनयो यदुपर्यधस्तात् ॥ ८॥
Narrating the story of Dhruva, God Brahmā said: “There was once a king named Uttānapāda who had two wives—Sunīti and Suruci. True to her name, Sunīti upheld high moral standards and lived by dharma. Suruci, on the other hand, was deeply attached to pride and worldly pleasures.
One day, Sunīti’s five-year-old son climbed onto his father’s lap. Suruci, jealous and possessive, pulled the child down, rebuking him for not being born to her. King Uttānapāda, more attached to Suruci, remained silent and did not intervene.
Deeply hurt by the insult and his father’s silence, the young boy left the palace and entered the forest. There, guided and initiated by Sage Nārada, he undertook intense austerity. To please the Supreme Lord, he entered into deep meditation—his heart fixed on the Indwelling Lord, the Paramātmā seated within.
Moved by Dhruva’s unwavering devotion, the Lord appeared before him and granted him a unique and exalted position—as Dhruva, the fixed Polar Star. Even the Saptarishis, the great sages of the cosmos, orbit around him, singing his glory.”
Though not an avatāra in the traditional sense, the Lord’s appearance to Dhruva reveals His eternal form as the indwelling Paramātmā—ever ready to respond to pure devotion. In Dhruva’s unwavering tapas, the Lord did not descend to vanquish demons or restore cosmic order, but to uplift a single soul whose heart had become a temple of longing. Thus, Dhruva’s story stands as a testament to the Lord’s compassion and the transformative power of Bhakti.
यद्वेनमुत्पथगतं द्विजवाक्यवज्र
विप्लुष्टपौरुषभगं निरये पतन्तम् ।
त्रात्वार्थितो जगति पुत्रपदं च लेभे
दुग्धा वसूनि वसुधा सकलानि येन ॥ ९॥
King Vena had strayed into unrighteousness, becoming a tyrant and a threat to dharma. Displeased by his evil rule, the brāhmaṇas cursed him with a sacred hum (hūṁkāra) that shattered his power like a thunderbolt. Stripped of his virtues, Vena spiraled downward toward the netherworld.
Concerned for society and the need for a righteous ruler, the great sages performed sacred rites, invoking the Lord. From the churning of King Vena’s qualities, the Lord manifested as Pṛthu, who rescued his father from hell—thus revealing the true meaning of Putra, "the son who delivers the father."
In this incarnation, the Lord established agriculture by initiating irrigation and cultivation. The Earth, pleased by Pṛthu’s efforts, yielded her bounty like a cow. From Him, she came to be known as Pṛthvī. Because she bore the wealth of food and medicine, she was also called Vasundharā—the bearer of Vasu (riches).
नाभेरसावृषभ आस सुदेविसूनुः
यो वै चचार समदृग्जडयोगचर्याम् ।
यत्पारमहंस्यमृषयः पदमामनन्ति
स्वस्थः प्रशान्तकरणः परिमुक्तसङ्गः ॥ १०॥
The Lord took birth as Rishabha, the son of King Nābhi and Queen Sudevī. In this divine form, He demonstrated the path of renunciation—detaching from worldly ties, calming the senses and mind, and turning inward in deep Self-realization. With perfect equanimity and dispassion, He revealed how to attain the highest state of Yoga, appearing outwardly inert and detached.
The great sages call this exalted state Paramahaṁsapada—the supreme realization—and Avadhūta, the liberated one who transcends social conventions, abiding in truth and untouched by dualities.
As Brahma continues to recount the Lord’s divine descents—each a luminous act of compassion and cosmic design—we are drawn into the devotional depths of Sri Purandara Dasaru’s timeless prayer. His soul-stirring composition, Rāmanembō nāmava nenedare bhayavilla manake, gathers the ten great incarnations of the Lord into a single, radiant truth: that the remembrance of His name alone dissolves fear and restores harmony to both heart and cosmos.
🎶 Let us now immerse ourselves in the sacred resonance of Rama Namavembo, rendered with grace and devotion by Suprabha KV—a voice that carries the bhakti of centuries, echoing through the corridors of time.
Rāmanembō nāmava nenedare bhayavilla manake
mūru lōkake kāraṇa kartā nārāyaṇa jāgake
śrīman nārāyaṇa jāgake || PA ||
Remembering the name "Rāma," fear vanishes from the mind.
The creator of the three worlds, Nārāyaṇa, is the cause of all activities.
The glorious Lord Nārāyaṇa is ever alert.
matsyāvatārava tāḷida rāma vēdava taruvadake |
bettava bennali poṭṭida rāma kūrmāvatārakke || 1 ||
Rāma took the form of a fish (Matsya) to recover the Vedas.
He bore the mountain on His back as a tortoise (Kūrma avatāra).
bhūmiya poṭṭu nīroḷu muḷugida varāhavatārakke |
karuḷanu bagedu māleya dharisida prahlādanasalahudake || 2 ||
When the earth sank into the ocean, He lifted it as a boar (Varāha avatāra).
He tore apart the demon and wore a garland to protect Prahlāda (Narasimha avatāra).
bhūmiyadānava bēḍida rāma vāmanavatārakke |
tāyiya śiravanu aḷidanu rāma bhārgavatārakke || 3 ||
To humble the demon king Bali, He incarnated as the dwarf Vāmana.
He removed the head of His own mother (Renukā) as Paraśurāma.
vanavāsava māḍida rāma janakana vākyakke |
māva kansana kondanu kr̥ṣṇa tāyiya biḍisalikke || 4 ||
He went into exile as Rāma, obeying His father’s command.
He killed His uncle Kaṁsa as Kṛṣṇa to free His mother.
satiyara vratagaḷa keḍisida rāma tripurara salahudakke |
vāhana biṭṭu turagava nērida kalyavatārakke || 5 ||
He who destroyed the false vows of ascetics and overcame the illusion of the three worlds—Rāma, in the form of the Buddha avatāra.
He who abandoned his chariot and mounted a horse—Rāma, in the form of the future Kalyāṇa (Kalki) avatāra."
śyāmala varṇava tāḷida rāma sāmarthyanu jagake |
svāmi śrī purandara viṭhalanu rāma gōvindanu jagake || 6 ||
He took on a dark complexion and showed His strength to the world.
He is Viṭhala, the Lord of Purandara Dāsa, and Govinda, the protector of the world.
॥ Hari Om ॥
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